Applications must arrive by April 15th and will be reviewed by June 1st.

Acceptance/Rejection letters will be mailed by July 1st.

The review may be extended for applicants who need to provide additional information or clarification.

The following samples are available on the website to be used as guidelines in completing the necessary documentation: Case Log Forms, Surgical and Anesthetic Narratives.

Candidates for each certification are required to keep a log that details the procedure performed, the animal species, the outcome (recovery, complications, and/or euthanasia), and the candidates’ role. A minimum of a 12 month period needs to be covered in the log, with the cases occurring no more than 36 months prior to submission of the application. Specific requirements for each certification are outlined in another section.

This is a secure site and your personal information will be kept confidential.

If you need to pay by check, submit your non-refundable application fee with a copy of your completed application to the ASR headquarters and upload your documents as noted above. Once your payment has been received and processed, your application will be reviewed.

All applicants that pass the exam will be required to be a member of ASR to receive their certificate. Dues ($295) must be paid annually to keep your certification current. Invoices will be mailed in October. Also, 15 continuing education units need to be earned every two years.

Examinations

Exams are only given at the Academy’s yearly meeting in the fall at alternating locations (usually in September). See the “MEETING” section for details on the yearly meeting.

The exam for each level consists of a total of 200 multiple choice questions; 50 questions are on pictures/illustrations (“practical” questions) and 150 are regular written questions.

The cutoff grade for passing is 68, and anything lower is considered to be a failing grade. However, results will only be reported as passing or failing.

Results will be made available after the awards luncheon at the registration desk. The awards luncheon is held the last day of the meeting. If you don’t pick up your envelope, your results will be mailed to you within two weeks.

Official letters will be mailed to the candidates within two weeks of the meeting. This letter should be used as proof of your certification status until you receive your certificate. To give everyone sufficient time to submit their dues, certificates will be mailed in January.

For those who do not pass the exam, a letter will be mailed at a later date detailing which subject areas the candidate appeared to have trouble with, as indicated by the number of incorrect answers in each category. This is intended to help the candidate prepare to retake the exam.

Sample questions are available elsewhere on this site, as are a study guide, reference list, and charts detailing the distribution of questions within the subjects covered on each exam.